Trouble At Home
by Ryo-Takaishi
Summary: Tk is feeling left out of his brother's life and when his brother least expects, everything takes a turn for the worse
1. Suicide in the Real World

  
  
The sun was setting in the western skies, and Tk having had a long, tedious workout was glad about it. He would be able to spend the weekend with his brother, because his father was out of town again on a trip and wouldn't be back for days. As he gathered his things, he saw from the corner of his eye, his love standing outside the locker room waiting patiently for him. He knew that they'd be together later that night, but what she was about to tell him was going to make him as mad as hell.  
  
"What?!" he sputtered angrily at Kari, as if the message were her fault.  
  
"That's what Tai said," she replied sadly.  
  
"But I've been waiting a month and a half to spend this weekend with Matt!" he said, his voice filled with anguish.  
  
"Tk, look. I know your brother has broken a lot of promises, but this time, well he said he an important practice and you couldn't stay with him." Kari said sincerly as she wrapped her arms around his and comforted him, wishing she could do something more. She blamed Matt, really; he had broken so many promises to Tk that her boyfriend probably didn't trust his older sibling any longer.  
  
Tk fumed."He can't do this to me!" the blond boy said, clearly enraged by his brother's actions.  
  
"Tk, he did miss your birthday and your first game, and you still haven't forgiven him," the girl answered soothingly. "Maybe he's trying to say, 'forgive and forget', but your just not listening to him." Kari replied.  
  
"This time I'm not _going _to forgive him. It's been three month's since we went to the other world and he promised me the day after we returned that nothing would spoil our weekend together! The only time I see him is in the digital world, but as soon as we get back he goes to practice and leaves me in the dark!" Tk almost shouted, causing those in the hallway to hear his anger.   


  
  
"I wonder why he really asked Tai to tell you that you two couldn't hang out? He would have told you face to face, right?" Kari questioned.  
  
"I don't know,but this time I am going to find out!" Tk said pulling her hand as they raced for the late bus.   
  
  


  
  
"Matt. I don't get it! Why did you make me lie to Kari?" Tai asked stubbornly over the phone. Tai had been lucky to catch his loner of a friend, right before he was going out somewhere.  
  
"Listen Tai, I'm sorry but I have things to do, and no, it isn't drugs or anything. I have a bigconcert coming up and I can't both babysit Tk and practice." Matt said soothingly.  
  
Tai wasn't impressed. "Babysitting? Is that what you call weekends with your little brother?"he asked the blonde headed rock-star.  
  
"Yeah. All we do is talk about the digital world..Kari..digital world...nothing else. I've got a right to cancel our weekend!" Matt responded spontaneously.  


  
  
"Matt! Listen to yourself man! You have broken two promises! Two! What do you think Tk's going to do when Kari tells him that you canceled on him, huh? He's going to do something dangerous to him, or to him and Kari. He thinks you don't care about him, or even love him anymore." Tai said, and to Matt's surprise the other boy was was right on the button.   
  
"Yeah it's like that but its much deeper. Tk, isn't an ordinary kid. He can handle not spending one weekend with his older brother. Besides, what about all that time he was in the other dimension? We could have spent time if he hadn't gone there!" Matt said into the speaker.  
  
"Matt! He had to go, and Kari did too. Listen, why don't you think about what Tk might do if you don't get your act together, _then_ call me." Tai said angrily, and the phone went dead.   


  


  
  
Matt knew that he had broken a lot of promises he made to Tk... a lot of them. He just didn't know how to handle the problem. It would have been better if his dad hadn't gone away and his little..well... his average sized brother would have a father-son weekend and himself left alone to do what he wanted to do. He knew Tk was angry, he himself would of been angry if he had been in the same situation, but it was always the opposite. Two close calls, of heated arguments, the first, after the birthday party, and his not arriving to it as well as the promise broken of the first basketball game which Tk was starting in. He had to do something, or he knew Tk would put himself in serious danger. He just didn't know how serious that danger was right at that moment.   
  
  


  
  
Tk sat on the edge, looking down but not listening to Kari's frantic calls. "Please Tk! Come down! Everything will be better, please come down!!"  
  
"No, Kari! If my family doesn't care enough about me, then why should I live? Ever since the divorce and moving back here, I have never spent a goddamn afternoon with him, _one _afternoon. What the hell is his problem that I can't spend just a few hours with me without having to go to a band practice? It's not fair to me, and I'm starting to feel like I matter in the world! I know _you _love me and I appreciate that. I love you too but I am not getting the love where it's needing to come from. I feel like I'm on the outside when my brother is on the inside and I can't handle it anymore! I've always tried to be strong, not scared, but I am scared and if I have to die then I'll do it! I can't take it anymore!" Tk exclaimed.  
  
"I'll be right back Tk. Don't do _anything _that I wouldn't do." she muttered, not thinking straight. She'd call Tai first and then Matt.  
  
"Hello, you have reached the Kamiya residence. Please leave your name and number and we'll get back to you asap." the mesage rang. "Tai? It's Kari," she said, choking with emotion. "Tk... well he's about to jump from the top of his apartment building. His mom isn't home because she's on that trip to America. And another thing..."and then the speedy voice rang.  
  
"Kari? Are you ok?" Tai's voice rang through her brain.  
  
"Yeah, _I'm _fine. But you've got to get Matt! Please hurry!" and she dropped the phone and ran back to Tk.   


Nobody understood him. That was the message now-a-days. He was loved, by   


his mom, Kari especially, and even his dad but he felt Matt had no real love   


for him, only something to make him believe that he loved his younger sibling. He   


had wished it had been back how it was when he was little, always being picked up by Matt   


whenever he fell, but he was older, for godsakes he was turning fourteen. He   


noticed Kari's return and the cops waiting for a signal from him. He saw   


Kari speaking to one of them, and then in the distance a car, the Kamiya's   


car driving up the block and parking in front of his complex. Tai got out,   


and so did..well Matt. Tai, looked angry and Matt looked well, like Matt,   


mellow and calm. He'd wait, yeah, that was the best thing. To wait.   


  


Matt felt like he had just been punched by Tai. He had looked up astonished   


to see his little brother on the edge of the roof of the complex that he and   


his mother had lived in. He still couldn't take it in that someone would   


throw their life away, even though the person had a wonderful girlfriend and   


close relationships with everyone he knew, and then it hit him. _He _had been   


pushing Tk away ever since their return from the digital world five or six   


summers ago. _He _knew what Tk was feeling, and couldn't bear it becase at one   


time he had felt the same way. He either had to save Tk or lose the mostimportant thing in the world to him.  
  
Kari repeated what Tk had told her and Tai looked angrily at Matt, but was shocked that someone that he knew could just throw his life away.  
  
Sora had come as soon as Tai had called her. She had a relationship, and had given Tk and Kari guidance right before they started dating. She was there not because she wanted to, but because she knew that she could help Tk get over his depression.  
  
"What's been going on?" she asked the rest of the digidestined.  
  
"Tk hasn't moved from that spot for about four hours." Tai answered, hugging her closely to him. Kari wept, and then Matt just couldn't take it anymore.   


Suddenly a rock fell from the top of the building. Wrapped around it was a   


piece of paper written in Tk's hand writing.   


  


_Dear Group: _  


_I know I've messed up big time, but it's my fault and nobody else's. I guess I _  


_deserve this, maybe its something we all have to go through and this is my _  


_time. Kari, I love you and I am not going to throw my life away because I _  


_don't get to hang out with Matt. Matt, I know you love me, but I don't feel _  


_like your doing a good job as my brother and I am angry at you because of it! _  


_You have no right to go away and reject me whenever you please. Tai and _  


_Sora, you have been great, especially you Sora. You have got me through a _  


_lot of this crap that I have been going through and I thank you. Kari, _  


_please go upstairs and meet me so we can talk. Matt, I don't want to see you _  


_until I feel I can talk to you without you having to have a 'band practice' _  


_just to get rid of me. _  


  


  
  
_Love-Tk_  
  
"That's all?" Sora asked the others.  
  
"Yeah. I better get going." Kari said,trying to rid the streaks of dirt from her face.  
  
"No, wait." Tai said seriously, as if he had suddenly come upon an epifany or something. The group listened to his words, nodded, then one of them walked up the stairs towards the roof of the building.   


Tk sat against the floor of the roof waiting for Kari. He couldn't believe   


he had hurt her so much. Matt deserved what he had got and he was glad he   


said what he did. It was the only way that he could... Then he heard footsteps and   


stood up, ready to face his love, the only person who truly understood him.   


Pivoting his foot he was shocked. It wasn't Kari, it was Matt.   


  
  
Matt knew that his brother would be shocked by the double-crossing. "I asked for Kari! Not you!" he screamed at his older brother.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but Tai thought this would be the best thing Tk." Matt said, swallowing.  
  
Tk frowned, turning his back on the other. "Go away. Leave me alone. I don't need you or maybe you still think that I'm a baby-sitting job for you and you can't handle me anymore. Whatever it is, I don't care. Just leave me alone!" Tk said ,enraged. He then looked down at Kari, and she was crying too, maybe because she had lied to him or maybe because sheknew this was a way to save him but he didn't know.  
  
"Tk, I love you, man. I truly do but spending time-" Matt started to say, but then Tk interrupted him.  
  
"Spending time? SPENDING TIME? What?! You watch the clock every second you're with me! Is that it?" Tk said shouting so greatly that everyone on the ground could hear him.  
  
Matt bit his lip, he had messed up what he was trying to get through to Tk. He had meant that through spending time, they hadn't been doing anything productive and Tk wasn't letting his message be told. "Matt! For the last 3 months, I haven't seen hide nor hair of you and then when dad calls out of the blue and says that I am going to spend a weekend with you I felt like I was finally going to get to do something with you! Something productive! And then I find out after a month and a half of waiting, that you don't want to see me but instead just want to play with your stupid damn guitar!!!" Tk said heaving.  
  
Matt was shocked. He never thought Tk could have said so much to get his own point across, but he had. Matt was a bad brother. He had always wanted to protect him, but instead Tk had protected Matt. He felt ashamed... that maybe he should of spent less time with his band and more time with what truly mattered: Tk. The younger boy fell on his knees and burst into small fits of tears.  
  
Matt looked past him, to see the back of Kari's head buried into Tai's shoulder. "Look man. I am sorry for everything I did to you. I really do Tk, but that won't solve anything will it? I've been the lousiest brother and I should know because the band is something I use to get away from everything: my responsibilities, my family, but the band isn't what is keeping me away, its the thought that I know I don't want to be there if you get hurt and Patamon can't protect you. I've always tried to protect you but its always been the opposite and I'm sorry, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to make you go through all this just so you could get some attention, I caused you to be like this and its truly my fault. You had a right to yell at me in the letter because it's all true." Matt said having to brethe after that tedious short speech, slowly shaking as he did it.  
  
Then Tk stood up and faced the elder boy. "Listen Matt," Tk started to say after listening to his older brother. He had stopped crying but the wild messy streaks on his face were the aftermath of all those tears. "Things could get better for us, but you've got to let them. It won't happen all by itself. I'm sorry for doing this. I'm just going through something that I have to surpress or it will swallow me up, and there won't be any turning back to the light once I reach that point. I need your love as well as everybody else's, but even Kari's love can't help me the ways yours can. _Please_, all I ask for you is to love me."Tk finished.  
  
Matt looked sad. "Tk, I'm sorry. I didn't know that these were your real feelings. I _have_ been a big jerk of a brother, and its hard because even though we live in the same city we can't be together because of a stupid divorce paper. I hope things will get better for us and not worse." Matt started to say walking ,towards Tk and the younger boy wrapped his arms around him, starting to cry into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry for putting you through this Tk, so sorry." Matt whispered.  
  
"It's okay. Achoo!" Tk suddenly sneezed, causing a smile to form on his brother's face. "You've been outside all this time? We have to...Tk?" Tk had fainted and looked flushed. Matt touched his brother's forehead and felt a burning sensation. The older boy, on instinct alone, dragged his brother to the elevator and went down to the others. "We need...." But Kari nudged him and showed him an ambulance was there already. The infirmary man and nurse took Tk onto a stretcher.  
  
"Anyone want to ride?" the driver asked. Kari asked if she and Matt could, and the man nodded after hearing who they were to the boy.   


  
  
The hospital ride was a long and lengthy one, Kari held Tk's hand and felt her crest glow, giving her love the strength that he would need to survive his test. Kari noticed something about Matt's crest as well. It was glowing. "Matt, look."She said pointing to his chest. His crest was glowing the same dark blue that it always had for his digimon to digivolve to the Ultimate level. He just didn't understand why it was glowing at that moment.  
  
Suddenly, as they watched, Tk's life reader was just a line. 


	2. The Passings

The line skipped back to life as they hit a bump. The crest of friendship faded back to the dark blue it always had been except in that minute of the ambulance going towards the hospital. When reaching the hospital Tk was moved to the ER and after about half an hour of waiting.  
  
"I'm sorry but Takeru is in a coma. He won't wake up at least for a while. I'm sorry. I just don't understand how a high fever could cause a coma like the one the boy is in. I'm truly sorry." The doctor told the group as they fell into a deep silence.   
  
"Tk.." Kari moaned as she cried silently into Tai's shoulder then looking at the group which now consisted of herself, Tai, Matt, Izzy, Joe, Sora and Davis. Yolei and Cody hadn't been able to make it but they would come the next day to see Tk.   
  
"It's all my fault! All my fault. I caused him to be like this!! It's all my fault." Matt cried as he fell to his knees.   
  
Sora left Tai's side and went to Matt. "It'll be okay. It has to be okay. Tk's really strong and don't worry about him." she whispered into his ear helping him up to a seat.  
  
"I wouldn't say that if I were you." a voice rang in the waiting room of the hospital. The group turned to face the originator of the voice.  
  
It was Rio.  
  
-0-  
  
Where am I? Tk asked the nothingness.   
  
You are where you are supposed to be Takeru Takaishi. a voice rang through the empty space. What? Tk thought. He didn't understand what had happened, was he dead? He didn't think so because he would of gone to heaven not purgatory.   
  
Who are you? Tk asked the darkness. There was nothing. Nothing that showed there was another being around him. Takeru felt as if he was floating in the air. Then out of no where, he saw something that he couldn't believe. He saw someone he knew only for a few days, weeks even. Someone who was his name sake, or at least the only one he knew of.   
  
He saw T'kai.   
  
-0-  
  
"What are you doing here Rio?" Kari asked the dark haired girl. She was puzzled to see that the girlfriend of Matt had happened to come to them right at the instant Tk had gone into his coma.   
  
"I came because there's something you need to understand," the once-enemy told them. "Tk's soul is in danger. A darkness filled him. Something my brother Roan is probably the cause of. He'll come to, eventually but then he will face his demons."   
  
"Demons?" Izzy asked her. "You mean evil digimon?" he asked again. He was confused with the term demons. Did she mean monsters or well what else were there?  
  
"Personal demons Izzy. Everything leading to one person. The only person who could save him." Rio told him. "The only person who he needs the most in his life." she said again. Kari stepped forward but Rio shook her head, and everyone noticed the girl's eyes dart to someone who was kneeling on the ground still.  
  
"Me?!" Matt asked her. His love nodded to him. Matt couldn't believe this, he was the one who had to rescue Tk after everything that he had done to the younger sibling but if he was to save his brother, he had to learn how first and there was only one person who could answer those questions...Gennai.  
  
"I just sent the email." Izzy told them. A look of thanks was all that was given to him. He himself cared for the youngest of the original digidestined. He couldn't believe that Tk was in so much danger and there was nothing he or anyone else besides Matt could do about it. Be strong Tk Don't give up Hope.  
  
-0-  
Tk looked at T'kai. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Everything, the fur, the eyes, the whistle was the same. "Lord Takeru?" the little squirrel digimon asked him. The God looked at him as if he was shocked as well. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was too unbelievable.   
  
"T'kai, how did you get here?" he asked the furry creature. He was one of Tk's best friends of the animals. He didn't look that different to him, he looked like he hadn't aged a day over whatever his age was. He couldn't understand why he was where he was. Maybe it was a real test like he had said. Maybe it was some type of trap, but who could of set it? There were so many enemies and so little time to figure this out. He just hoped Kari was okay.   
  
"Lord Takeru, I found after passing I felt myself vanish into this dark hole. I don't know why I am here but it may be the "Walk of Visions." Something all those who pass on in my realm go through. A walk of tests." He said and then there was a flash of light and the two friends vanished out of the realm.  
  
-0-  
  
Dear Digidestined:  
From what you have told me I believe that Tk is not the main target. After what was said about Kari and Tk going to the digimon-realm like world and the death of the Al'ladon he may of gone into the coma to help the digimon reach the purification or ( The group looked puzzled) or basically a Primary Village like that of File Island. When I have more information I will email you again. Please have faith in Tk, especially Matt and Kari. You are the ones who can get him through what he is going through.  
  
Sincerely,  
Gennai  
  
"What kind of letter is that? He didn't help us!" Matt screamed into the computer screen. He was so angry at himself for causing what had happened to Tk. He couldn't mess up again. He felt the past coming back to him, something he didn't want to remember.   
  
"Hello this is the Takaishi residence. We're not home so leave a message and we'll get back to you thanks!" Tk's voice chimed, the voice of an 8 year old but he was no longer eight, he was turning 14.  
  
"Hi Tk. This is Matt. I know your really going to ream me but my drummer called and told me that we had to practice for some benefit. I am really sorry. I.." Tk happened to be in the room as the mesage went off and he didn't bother picking up thinking it was nothing, that Matt would of come to the party if he could.  
  
"What?! He's not coming?" the voice rang throughout the pizzaria. Tk felt really bad. It was his 13th birthday and he had been waiting to spend time with Kari, Tai, and especially Matt. He stared blankly at Tai as if trying to condem him for his brother's actions.  
  
"He called you but I guess you didn't get the message. I'm really sorry Tk. He would be here if he could be and I know you are really mad at him but look at his lifestyle. You aren't his main responsibility. Your dad depends on him to cook, clean, and he has the band and everything." Tai said.  
  
"I...I guess your right Tai. But still it's not right. I was making plans with him last month over the phone about this get-together and he plummets through them because of some stupid concert. Kari, what do you think?" Tk said after telling what was on his mind to her older brother.  
  
"Well, Tai's right in one aspect. Your dad depends on Matt a lot, but your right too Tk. You deserve time with your brother but I guess...I don't really know." Kari said trying to make a smile to her boyfriend.  
  
"Whatever." was Tk's comment.  
  
-0-  
  
"I fear for Tk so much Matt. He's your brother and I love him so much. I can't live without him. I don't know how we can help him, where he is. Do you have any ideas?" Kari asked softly   
  
"I'm not sure if he even wants my help Kari. He was so angry at me and he had a right to be. I haven't been the best brother in the world even before the divorce. Sure I was there for him but I wasn't really there. I just took care of him when no one else did." Matt told her.  
  
"Will you two stop thinking and do something already!? I'm getting so edgy just sitting in that hospital room, so dark and dreary and with Tk in there." Tai's voice screamed at them.   
  
"Listen Tai. Gennai said only Kari and I could save Tk. We just don't know how." Matt told him.  
  
"I wonder what Tk's doing right now." Kari wondered.  
  
-0-  
  
"Where are we now?!" the Lord cried out. It was the strangest place, even stranger than the digital world where he went often to battle the Digimon Emporer. It was desolate and dark, there were stones but they weren't graves. There were just different colored large stones.  
  
"I've read about this place. It's one of the Valleys' of Lost Souls. Those who lost their way of life and when they passed on they came here." the squirrel digimon told his companion and partner.   
  
"You are not allowed here. Especially you paragon." a voice that came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.   
  
"We are here to travel the Walk of Shadows for my companion here. He is T'kai. He must get to the endpoint to save his soul." Tk's voice of reason cried to the entity.   
  
"I see. Then you must go. But first you must prove yourself. If you are truly the paragons you must walk through the valley of Lost Souls and only those who's soul is truly lost can journey there. If your soul is not you cannot even venture a foot into the world of souls and journey to the Vision Plains." the entity told them.   
  
Tk and T'kai looked at each other. They gulped at the same time.  
  
-0-  
The phone rang. It was Matt's cell phone so as soon as he heard the first ring he picked it up. "Hey Izzy. What's up?" he said droggily. "What? Gennai has information? Lost Souls? Vision Plains huh? I thought that too. I guess Tk needs to do this by himself. Yeah I will tell her. Peace." Matt's phone conversation had taken a good hour and a half but instead of turning off the phone he called the one person who could really reach Tk.  
  
"Hello? Oh Matt. I'll get...Kari??" Mrs. Kamiya said into the phone. "Kari..phone. It's Matt. Tk's brother." she finished giving the phone to her daughter and leaving with the shopping list to the shopper market.   
  
"Really? Wow. I'll do my best. What are you going to do? Nothing!? Matt you can't do nothing. Pray or be with your brother. He needs to feel your presence. He needs to know you love him!" Kari shouted literally into the phone that had probably made Matt's ears hurt.   
  
Tai had walked into the room and Kari mouthed "Matt" and he nodded but didn't intrude. He instead left for the bathroom where he would get ready for the summer day and knock someone rightfully to their senses.   
  
-0-  
"T'kai? Are you ready?" the thirteen year old asked his animal friend. He smiled at him even though they were in a dire situation.  
  
"Well. Takeru, I have a confession. We only have three days starting now to get myself to the Vision Plains. If we do not reach the plains in time then we will be lost in space and you will be what your people called...a vegetable?" he asked.  
  
Tk looked dire. Their situation couldn't be worse but he felt like Kari was with him and because of that he would survive. They started their journey and would soon come across their first trial.   
  
-0-  
"The first trial is at hand my Master. They will not get past it and then you will be able to take a new body, one more powerful than the last and destroy the unites of Faith, Wisdom, and Conviction, Master." The small creature said looking up to the deformed spirit of despair.   
  
"The keeper of Hope will succumb to my power and force him to plummet in despair and he with my help will take over the digital world as well as his and become the next digimon Emporer." The voice rang through the dark cavern.   
  
-0-  
"What's the first trial?" Tk asked the digimon.   
  
"Well it has to do with the two of us. Something we have in common. A task that can only be completed with us working together." The digimon replied looking up to someone he had looked up to literally ever since he was a child.   
  
"Well there has to be a catch. Something that has to stop us from working together right? Maybe we'll face an enemy of the past." The blonde boy told the squirrel creature. The creature nodded and they continued almost at the trial of hatred.   
  
Reaching the foot of the mountain the duo stopped for a quick rest and the voices wouldn't stop. "Do you hear something?" Tk asked his ally. The creature shook his head and smiled starting a fire because it was getting very dark. The voices rang telling Tk of truths and lies, but he didn't know that. "STOP IT!" he screamed.   
  
T'kai jumped at Tk's yell. "Are you okay Takeru?" he asked softly. The lord didn't answer kneeling while he cried holding his hands to his ears trying to cover them from something.  
  
Tk, Kari doesn't want you anymore. Davis will take her away from you. Join me and we can be true love. We can be the thing you need. You need. Davis doesn't deserve Kari. You must fight him to win her back.   
  
The voices kept droning on about the new digidestined and his girlfriend. He couldn't take it anymore. Everywhere he looked he saw Davis. Next to him. Sleeping across from him in the campsite, eating with him every moment. "I want...to kill you!!" he screamed and leapt at Davis.  
  
"Stop Lord Takeru! Stop!" the voice shouted. It came from Davis's mouth but it wasn't his voice. It was T'kai.   
  
"No! Your going to take her away from me. She's all I have!" he cried at Davis. Davis was scared. More scared than he had ever been but he would never be that scared against him. Why had he heard T'kai's voice coming from the digidestined of new courage and friendship.   
  
"M'lord. This is your test. We cannot go against each other or we fail. Please use your senses. Remember where you are. Think of the real Davis. He is your friend. Lady Kari loves you." The small creature spoke to the lord.   
  
"T'kai?" he asked blinking furiously. He saw Davis disappear to reveal a ruffled up T'kai. "I'm so sorry T'kai. I didn't know what I was doing. It was the voices telling me that Davis stole Kari from me. Thank you for saving me." Tk said smoothing his fur with his hand, his crest re-lighting with the ancient glow of Hope.   
  
"You have passed the first trial Takeru-San." The voice rang. "You both worked together to get past the illusions and now because of it you both shall be taken to the edge of the Souls.   
  
In a flash the two vanished. When the two vanished, in the real world Tk was getting very pale, his line reader slowing down.   
  
Meanwhile in the real world, Kari was frantic, but looked calm. She was praying as hard as she could. She wished she was with Tk, wherever he was. To help him with whatever he needed.   
  



End file.
